Growing Old is Mandatory, Growing Up is Optional!!

                 It’s knowledge worth sharing!! That was my first reaction, when I came across this entire new genre, whilst I was doing my majors in psychology. I was told by my professor that the topic should be such that one must feel like exploring and learning more. It was my first Counseling projects and I had no clue that this one project is about to get so much wisdom! I pondered for day’s altogether; what is it that makes people worry the most; what is it that may help them the most?? Obviously since it was counseling, I started browsing over all those things that made life difficult and painful for all. I went from childhood disorders to dementia, from divorce to depression, from sexual abuse to substance abuse, from social anxiety to schizophrenia, from autism to unipolar depression, but lingering over all these for weeks, I was positive to be in need for counseling towards the end!

I didn’t leave a chance to curse my professors or to blame the system. However at some point of time, one must stop racing, with reality. I knew I had lost. I so wished I had someone to question and to confess my frustrations... I thought of my father and I knew I would be the appetizer when he comes back home; next I thought of my sister and then again I knew she would be appetizer cause it was like fighting a lost battle, that too with a soldier who charges money for even loosing! Ah! I so wished I had a punch bag, but, lets see, moment of truth, it repels back too. I just wished I had a pet dog, u know, at least it would patiently listen even if I am talking crap! And before I realized, I had plunged into day dreaming. I was cuddling a Yorkshire terrier and enjoying all the buoyancy it would get along! It's so unusual, so extraordinary, this human- animal bond!

I started the girl thing now… envying all my friends who had pets of their own, knew they’d never be nostalgic, the way I was! I so wished I had pet, then to add, I would be so content, would always have that someone in all the dark times, what could be better?

And Eureka!!

I mean human brain is just so startling, how quickly can these neurons fire… at least while studying them they looked a long course of action! Except, who cares for now, the neurotransmitters never concerned me anyways. I had my topic, now the only thing that worried me the most is whether human-animal companionship would fit in the spectrum of counseling psychology? Skeptical was my word. The good news was that this time to get the assurances; I didn’t have to go to the sources mentioned above!

Nonetheless, how generously I blessed the soul who got, Google!!

I read over many books on human- animal bond, until my eyes lured upon the word Animal Assisted Therapy. I read like a greedy animal and I was astounded that such a therapy can cure people and do wonders. It was like some virus breeding on me, not wanting to slow down. I knew I had overdone myself for over the days.Thus, my topic did manage to bank an approval.

The second term started and all of us had to present our rough drafts. I knew the file in my arms would stand out! With heads held high I went to my professor. I presented my rough draft and no longer, was I proud, on the amount of content I had collected, than she just reminded me that I was scatterbrained. A total smack down!  I had my project exceeding its perimeter, it awfully needed editing and adding to my dilemmas, I had interviews in hand, since I so graciously forgot I had undertaken a study and not a review! The only thing I was glad about is that these guys who have composed the syllabus never let me down! They yet live up to my expectations of being diseased to an extent of contaminating the young minds. No wonder suicides happen! I mean all the ruddy crap for 20 marks only? I rather sell the material and earn few currencies.

Does anybody know how Christmas was last year? It was full of composing questionnaires, conducting interviews, pleading the veterans for their time and approval, editing the journal, no Google this time, pondering on whether the neurons felt bad for all those comments and if time left over, sleeping! Finally towards the end of my term, I was done with Animal- Assisted Therapy and luckily I wasn't barking or quacking or groaning like animals. When I got my share of credits for all the hard work I had done, the system so easily was forgiven, the professors were blessed and syllabus all of a sudden seemed highly incredible! They say, images are remarkably and cognitively more retained than words, so I tried to Google out for an image which would reflect it all, these wonders of human- animal bond! But indeed, failed in that attempt.
.......................................................................................................

 The picture above is the very same which I used for my project cover page and it’s the very proof of my insight. I had realized by then that it wasn’t Google that day who went out of pictures, but it was just me who had started feeling like a mother, having delivered a baby so beautiful, wanting all the attention it could get and that it deserved!!

"Some experiences in life, costs you in Rupees, but they indeed come back to you in Dollars!!"